KASD Partners With Global Design And Innovation Company to Enhance Parent-teacher Communication

The Kutztown Area School District (KASD) teamed with national partners at The Teachers Guild and IDEO to engage in two interactive workshops inviting parents and teachers together to solve challenges in strengthening communications and partnerships. The goal of this gathering was apply "design thinking" principles to answer the question, “How might we strengthen communication and trust between parents and teachers to support student success?” The “It Takes A Team” design challenge gathered stakeholders together for two sessions in February and March to apply design thinking principles in order to unite parents and teachers as they co-design new solutions that create a coherent and connected ecosystem of care and support around students. The Strengthening Parent-Teacher Collaboration project fostered authentic engagement on a day-to-day basis that will reduce the perception gaps between teachers and parents and help them work together for the benefit of all students.

Out of a diverse, nationwide applicant pool, the Teachers Guild selected KASD as one of only two schools in the nation with whom to directly partner and help co-lead their latest design project for schools called, “It Takes a Team.” The Teachers Guild, a northern California organization, grown out of and partnered with the design firm, IDEO, is a professional community that activates teachers' creativity to solve the biggest challenges in education today. Their collaborative learning programs use Design Thinking to help teachers tap into their inner designer by trying new ideas and discovering what works and why for their students and schools. As a chosen school site, The Teachers Guild, with grant funding from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, provided in-person training on the design thinking process, and will support KASD and their team to work with teachers, parents, and community.